The story behind the scene and the people who created it

Twelve local artists finished installing their collaborative light-and-sound work at the corner of Northbourne Avenue and Cooyong Street in Braddon on 10 July.

The project arrives as the ACT Government rolls out its 2026-27 arts budget, which directs extra money toward outdoor works that can run without venue overheads. Residents in inner-north suburbs have pressed for more free public pieces after several indoor galleries cut opening hours last year.

From studio sketches to street installation

The group first met at the Canberra Contemporary Art Space on Blaxland Crescent in Griffith. They later moved fabrication to the Ainslie Arts Centre on Wakefield Avenue, where they tested LED arrays against winter wind speeds recorded on the site. Two members, both former apprentices at the National Capital Exhibition on Regatta Point, handled the wiring that syncs the lights to recorded city sounds.

Materials came from a supplier on Barrier Street in Fyshwick. The total build used 180 metres of cable and 64 custom panels. Construction logs show the team logged 1,120 volunteer hours between November and June.

Numbers that shaped the final design

Project records list a $68,000 materials grant awarded in March 2026 plus $12,000 raised through a local crowdfunding drive that closed on 15 June. Organisers expect 1,800 people to pass the site each weekday once word spreads through the Civic bus interchange two blocks away.

The installation runs daily from 5pm to 10pm through the end of August. People who want to see the work can reach the corner on foot from the Braddon tram stop in under four minutes or park in the two-hour zone on Cooyong Street after 6pm.